


never going down by your hand

by MythologicalHoe



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Castles, Comfort/Angst, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2019-09-18 10:46:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16993587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MythologicalHoe/pseuds/MythologicalHoe
Summary: In a world of kingdoms and political sabotage and witch hunts, Rey is the blacksmith that works for all five Kingdoms, and just so happens to be a witch in hiding. Kylo, formerly Ben, comes to her wanting a witch hunting sword, and Rey obliges.





	1. tersely conversating

Snow and ice was something that wasn’t common in the lands of the Kingdom of the Resistance, but in the neutral zone bad weather was common. Rey’s shop was on the edge of the neutral zone, and it caught the brunt of the bad weather, which just so happened to be freezing conditions. The air was frigid, icy mist coming up from the cobblestone.

Rey felt that there was something in the air today, because Kylo Ren was acting like more of an asshole than usual. He walked into her shop without saying a word, doom and gloom sort of hanging over his shoulders and spreading out around the shop as Rey glanced at him. “How are you doing?” She asked him. He didn’t answer her.

 

Rey was the royal blacksmith for the Corellian Kingdoms, which often left her busy with her work, but her most frequent client was Kylo. Despite the fact that they had a mutual hatred for each other, he kept coming back, and paying more money for weapons from her. She decided that it was because of superstition. Her swords eveningwon him wars and battles and duels, so she was the only blacksmith that he would seek out his weapons from. “I need a sword,” 

 

“Nice to see you too,” She muttered. She was cleaning up, putting her work on display for her clients that came in and out. She was meticulous in her cleaning, making sure that she put on her best presenting weapons for the royalty that walked in and out. “What kind of sword are you looking for?” 

 

She and Kylo had this same discussion every single time. This time, his request was different. “One that kills witches,” He said. Rey’s stomach felt sick when he said that, but she kept a straight face for the most part. 

 

“Right,” She said. 

 

“You can do that, right?” The question was, did Rey want to do that. The Corellian Kingdoms had been prosecuting witches for ages, and Rey was tired, so tired in aiding in the deaths of innocents. 

 

“I can.” She bit her lip. “That's quite easy, may I ask why? And who you're planning to kill.”

 

“You've never asked before,”

 

“I'm trying to gauge what ingredients I need,” She rolled her eyes, heading over to the counter where a bound book of parchment lay. She grabbed her quill and looked up at him. “Do tell.” 

 

“There’s a suspected witch in the lower kingdom. I just need something that’ll kill her.” Rey rolled her eyes, that wasn’t specific at all. “Necromancer type.” Was all he added. That was something that could actually help her. She wrote down a few things in her book and put her quill down. 

“I can start working tonight,” She said, “three hundred fifty pieces up front.” He nodded and shuffled through his satchel until he took out a red velvet bag. Rey took it from him. 

 

“Aren’t you going to count it?” He asked. Rey rolled her eyes and put it in her pocket. 

 

“Even if you were going to scam me, I couldn’t do anything about it. You’re a prince. I’ll take what I can get. You’ll get your weapon in two weeks time. Are you going to be in town for that long?” Kylo nodded. “Great. You can pay the rest then,” She waited for him to get out of the shop, but he lingered. Rey hated it. She knew that she couldn’t just tell him to go, but the energy around him just made Rey feel like she was going to suffocate. “Do you need anything else?” She asked tersely.

 

He took that hint. “No,” He said, “I’ll see you around.” Rey didn’t answer, he just looked out the door. 

* * *

  
  


When Kylo left Rey’s shop, he could feel some sort of guilt forming on his shoulders. Rey and Kylo’s relationship didn’t always used to be as tense as it was now. When the two of them were kids, they used to be as thick as thieves. When he was still part of the Rebellion sector of the Corellian Kingdoms. He remembered when he was little, and class didn’t matter. 

Rey and Kylo used to sneak out, past the garden wall and into the Mandalorian Forest, where the leaves turned red at night and glowed amongst the night sky. Rey had a dagger that her grandfather had made her and Kylo wielded a mini crossbow at the time. They would travel deep, but not too deep to get lost, and they would pretend to go on adventures and quests and Rey would always insist on being the one to protect Kylo. 

 

And then a disagreement happened, one that Kylo didn’t like to dwell on, one that took him away and put him in the hands of none other than Alistair Snoke. The King of the First Order and the Overseer of the fifth and final sector in the Corellian Kingdoms. With that, something happened and Rey abandoned him. Siding with the Organa and Skywalker family, and not him. 

 

Something changed after that, and she started hating him. Even though she still worked for him, it was never the same, and he knew that it could never go back to that. He wished that he could find a way to remedy it. For now he would just return the attitude she gave him. 

 

* * *

  
  
  


Rey's work was the one thing that she took her most pride in, and also the excuse that she gave herself for not getting out and socializing more. When Rey grew older and her grandfather died, she retreated more and more into her shell. It wasn't like she really had anyone to help her through those difficult times anyway. 

 

Now, she had friends, but she barely ever saw them due to her own habits. Finn was the one person she saw the most, he worked as a servant for the First Order and came to Rey’s shop frequently for chainmail and armour. He also liked to help out when he was in town, and he was in town today. “Rey!” He came into the room with an energy that was unrivalled by anyone else. Rey smiled immediately when she saw him. 

 

“Finn.” Her whole body hurt from bending over her table going over preliminary sketches for the sword that had been requested of her. She got up from her table and gave him a hug as soon as he passed the threshold. It was so cold outside but he felt warm. Rey loved that about him. “How are you? Long time, no see.” 

 

“I’m good. I’m good.” He said. “The Prince was in town and he has his entourage following him and I managed to sneak on the team this time. I just really wanted to see you.” 

 

“You’re so sweet,” Rey told him, “you didn’t have to do that.” 

 

“Oh but I did,” Rey pulled away from him, “if I had to be around  _ him  _ one more time I would be burnt at the stake for attempted murder.” Attempted murder. That’s right. Kylo Ren was a skilled swordsman. Anyone who went up against him died, partially due to the fact that Rey had studied his  sparring methods and knew how to make weapons that would fit him the best. “How are you doing?” 

 

“I’m doing,” Rey rolled her eyes. “The cold is starting to get to me.” 

 

“Did Kylo stop by?” 

 

“Yeah,” Rey didn’t like talking about him. 

 

“How did he treat you?” 

 

“How does Kylo normally treat people?” She rolled her eyes. Finn had to agree with that, and after that he dropped it. The two of them talked for what seemed to be the longest time. Rey cleaned up around shop to distract herself and keep busy and Finn helped. Time passed by fast like that. When the sun started to go down Finn left, and Rey waved and said goodbye to him, pretending she wouldn't miss his company.  _ Oh well,  _ she told herself,  _ at least I have something to keep me busy.  _

 

Rey got back to the sword that evening.


	2. glowing trees

Kylo’s dreams were often plagued by nightmares, it was something that he had gotten used to at this point.  He got up, late at night, and decided to venture out. The streets were aglow with icicles that glowed a blue color and the air felt fresh. This was the best time to be out for him. There was no one else around and he could just think without anything distracting him.

 

In the summer, Rey would sneak out in the middle of the night and make her way into Ben’s room. Something he had always thought was damn near impossible. She would touch Ben on the shoulder to wake him up. “What are you doing here?” He would always ask, but he was always grateful that she was there. She always seemed to appear right after a nightmare hit. She always made it better. 

 

“We need to go out,” Rey would say. “Right now.” As a kid, Rey was rebellious and liked by everyone. Even the royalty, Han and Leia adored her, and Ben did too. 

 

“Where are we going?” Ben would ask. He would always be afraid that they might get in trouble, but Rey would reassure him that it would be fine and they would sneak out through the winding halls that were lit with light purple hues. Rey would push Ben out past the guards and no one would seem to notice. 

 

The two of them would hold hands and things would be nice. “Do you really want to go out into the forest?” Ben would ask her. Rey would just nod and insist that he was being a scaredy cat and that the Mandalorian forest was the least scary place that she had ever been.

 

The forest was always aglow, the red leaves seemed to glow a little bit brighter as you stepped under it, illuminating your path. For some reason, the red and orange hues of the forest seemed to be a place that Rey came even more alive than she was during the day, which Ben thought was impossible. She had so much energy that it practically infected everything else, and he was forced to smile. 

 

They would pretend to slay daemons and dragons in the hills, but when Ben got to the topic of slaying witches, Rey would get oddly silent and decide that she didn’t want to play anymore. Ben would ask her what it was that he did wrong, and what he could do to remedy it, but she would never answer him. Instead she would go deeper into the forest, always finding a new lake that wasn’t lit by the leaves of the Mandalore trees and look out at the deep.    
  


Ben would ask her if she wanted to go home and the both of them did. Ben would be plagued with wondering what he did wrong for the rest of the night though. 

* * *

  
  


Rey’s shop was still open, Kylo could see the sign, and even though he knew that Rey wouldn’t want to see him he went there. She wasn’t in the main part of the shop, so Kylo could only assume that she was working in the back. He could smell a mix of pastries and iron and sage as he entered the shop. He stood there, wondering what she was doing but not daring to walk in the back. Rey came out into the main part of the shop a minute later. “Oh, it’s you.” 

“Don’t sound so excited,” Kylo said. 

 

“Is there anything else that you need?” Rey asked. She looked tired, more so than she usually was. 

 

“Are you okay?” He asked. Rey didn’t answer that question. 

 

“Are you here to buy something?” She asked. 

 

“Do you have any armour?” 

 

“Chainmail or protective plates?” 

 

“Chainmail,” 

 

“I have some shirts your size,” Rey said. 

 

“How many?” 

 

“Two,” 

 

“I’ll take them both,” He said. 

  
  


“That’s one hundred pieces,” Rey told him. He nodded and grabbed his satchel again. He had some bank notes on him and wrote one for one hundred pieces. 

 

“You know, you should really sell your things for higher. They’re high quality.” 

 

“One hundred pieces might not be a lot to you, but it is a lot to me. Not everyone can live in a castle and have a life of luxury.” 

 

“I didn’t mean it that way,” He said. 

 

“Just give me the money,” Rey rolled her eyes. Kylo mentally kicked himself as he wrote out the bank note and gave it to her. Rey took the chainmail shirts out from the back and gave them to Kylo. “Thank you,” That was code for  _ get the fuck out _ , he knew that tone all too well. He left without saying anything. 

 

The next day he came back to ask on the progress of the sword, Rey told him that these things take time. “It’s imperative to the Order that I find this witch,” He said. 

 

“I don’t really care,” Rey shrugged. “These things take time, and if you want a good sword that can actually kill the witch that you’re looking for, you will wait and be patient like a grown man.” Only Rey was the type of person that could get away with talking to Kylo like that. 

 

“Fine,” He said, “you’re right.” 

 

“Good.” Rey said. “You’re not a complete idiot. Your sword will be ready by the end of the week and I need two hundred and fifty pieces as the second half of your payment.” He nodded, not really knowing what else to say and left. God, Rey really hated him. He couldn’t blame her, as he didn’t really give her a reason to like him in the first place, but he didn’t really know how to bond again. 

 

Kylo watched as other people filed into Rey’s shop as the day began, and he wished, he wished that he could just hit a reset button with her and try again, but knowing his track record he would just mess up again. He always messed up. 

* * *

  
  
  


At the end of the week, Rey had made the sword that Kylo had needed, one that burned her skin when she touched it. At least she knew that it worked. She put it down on the table and waited for the night to approach, knowing that Kylo would be coming. 

Kylo appeared, fur cloak tightened around him. “Your sword is ready.” Kylo dropped the money on the table and picked up the sword. His eyes lit up for a second as he backed up a little, swinging it around. “I trust you like the product I’ve given you.” 

 

“It’s perfect.” Rey provided him with a sheath as well. “Intricate detail work as always.” 

 

“Thank you,” Rey said. Kylo sheathed the sword and looked down at her hand, which was wrapped up in a bandage. 

 

“Are you okay?” 

 

“It doesn’t matter, Kylo.” Rey sighed. 

 

“What happened there?” 

 

“The molten iron popped and some of it burned through my glove and got on my skin.” She lied. She was so used to lying at this point that she had gotten used to it. 

 

“Okay,” He said, “well take care of yourself.” Rey didn’t know how to respond to that. “I’ll see you later Rey.” She nodded and took the money off the table as he left her shop. She closed up after that. 


	3. A Song For A Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The past haunts us in more ways than one.

Rey remembered the days when she had friends. Or to more accurately represent it, had one friend. Ben Solo was her friend, even though they shared different classes. They were as thick as thieves, Rey brining Ben up in his saddest times. But now that she thought back on it, at what cost was putting all of her positive energy into a man that cut down her kind like cattle and didn’t have a second thought about it.

 

Now that she looked back on those memories, she regretted all the times that she looked at him in awe. When she was out in the court with her grandfather, she would look at him on his throne next to his mother and father. He was swathed in light and looked like an angel as a kid, someone who would grow up to be a leader like no other. Rey used to think that was exactly what he would be. 

 

And then something happened to him. She wasn’t sure what exactly it was. Maybe it was just the fact that he grew up, but the older he got the more consumed with this hatred of witches he got, and Rey couldn’t deal with it anymore. She couldn’t admit to herself the boy that she loved so much would hate her if he knew who she really was. 

* * *

  
  


Ben Kenobi was accused of being a witch, he was one, and Rey knew it. That didn’t keep her from marching into the throne room to try and help her grandfather. She was fifteen then, and Ben Solo was starting to become something that he hadn’t been before. “How dare you!” She ran into the throne room when no one else but Leia, Ben, and Han were in there. She had tears in her eyes and her blood was roaring. “All my grandfather ever did was help this Kingdom and you throw him in jail over some accusations.” 

 

“Rey,” Leia was compassionate, and kind. She tried to deal with Rey in that sort of manner. “This is for your own safety. I know that he’s your only family but we will still let you live at the castle.” Rey felt sick to her stomach when she said that. They really were going to kill him. 

* * *

  
  


Who was Rey, really? She wasn’t sure that she knew who she was, and that was alarming to her. She spent all day in her shop, making things that killed her own kind. She distanced herself from the community of magic and was known as the bringer of Death by most. Here they wouldn’t know that. Kylo came into her shop that afternoon to see her sitting in a chair fiddling around with some needles and yarn. “I didn’t know that you knitted,” He furrowed his eyebrows together like he was frustrated that she didn’t tell him this information. 

 

“It’s really none of your business what I do or don’t do.” She sighed. “What is it that you want?” She didn’t get up from her chair or make any attempt to even so much as look at him. She could tell from the tone of his voice that this sort of insulted him. 

 

“I wanted to thank you for the sword, it’s fine work.” 

 

“Did you find the witch that you were looking for?” Rey asked him. 

 

“No, it’s going to take a while to find them. But I trust that when I find them this will do the job.” Rey rolled her eyes, focused more on her stitchwork and less on the man in front of her. 

 

“Okay, so why are you still here?” 

 

“I wanted to ask you some questions,” 

 

“I thought that we’ve already established the fact that I’m not a witch and you really need to stop trying to pin that shit on me.” Kylo shook his head.

 

“I just wanted to ask you why you’re so sensitive about my work?” That would be an odd way to phrase killing people by any means, and it was no different with Kylo Ren. Rey finished the row she was on and sat it down in her lap. Her eyes finally connecting with the man that used to be her best friend. 

 

“Because I’m not afraid of what I don’t know.” She told him. 

* * *

  
  


Rey looked to Ben, pleading for him to reason with his parents. He said nothing. He just stared at her with this apathetic look on her eyes. “He’s all that I have, I don’t have parents, I don’t have friends. His shop and him, that’s all that my life has been. If you’re the generous and loving royal family that you claim to be then please just set him free. We’ll leave and we’ll never come back to the Five Kingdoms. Please, please.” She was sobbing now, and Leia and Han seemed to be reacting more to it then Ben was. 

 

“Rey, I’m sorry but the rules are the rules. And we can’t break them for the sake of your relationship with our son even though we are grateful.” 

 

“Why should we break them anyways? Even with that excuse.” Rey looked up at Ben from where she was and that idolic version of the boy that she had seen in her head was gone. For the first time she really noticed the dark circles under his eyes, the fact that he seemed to be eating less and less. 

 

“What?” She yelled.

 

“You of all people should know the disease that witchcraft was, that’s what killed your parents in the first place. You were born because of a love potion and it’s effects took your mother and father.” 

 

“How dare you?” Something in her blood just switched off, and all those years of learning how to keep her temper and hide from the world were gone. The swords that were stationed on the statues of kings and queens and knights past flew off of their stations, and lunged straight for all three of them. 

* * *

  
  


“To me,” Rey said, “people aren’t inherently bad, and concepts aren’t inherently bad. For example, you would think that a fire raging through the woods would be a bad thing but, after that fire has been put out, greener, lush life grows back in its place and the cycle of life continues. So that fire isn’t inherently bad.” Kylo just stared at her, his eyes blank. She wasn’t sure that she had gotten to him in that moment. Until he went to speak and then paused.

 

“We should go on a picnic when the ice clears,” He said. 

 

“Why should we do that?” 

 

“Because,” He told her, “we should reconnect.”

 

"Why in the hell would you want to do that?" 

 

"Why wouldn't I?" Rey looked outside, to the luminescent blue ice and pale blue mist to try and find some sort of explanation as to why he should stay as far away from her as possible. All she ended up doing was feeling more lonely than she had before.

 

"Fine," She said, "we could reconnect."

* * *

  
  


One of the swords had cut Ben clear across the face, his flesh was jagged and torn and Rey was crying. She didn’t mean to do that, she really didn’t mean to do that. Something inside her just broke in that moment. That didn’t excuse what she did next. 

She wiped all of their memories, planted fake explanations for everything there. She went to her grandfather’s cell to break him out that night, but when she got there he was already dead. 


	4. two's a crowd

The picnic’s date was coming soon, and Rey wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue on with it or not. However Rey wasn’t one for backing out of stuff, so she got ready. She brought a few sweets and some sandwiches, knowing that the day where she she and Kylo would have to spend time with each other was coming up soon. She tried to see the best of the situation, she hadn’t been out in a while to relax and get out in nature, so she had that to look forward to. 

* * *

  
  


Kylo was actually happy. He hadn’t been happy in a while, so it felt kind of odd the more he thought about it. But he tried not to dwell on it to the best of his abilities. He instead played out scenarios of making up with Rey in his head, and while no route was particularly easy, all of them ended up being worthwhile. 

 

The day of their picnic had come along and Kylo came to meet Rey at the door of her shop. He was in a regular shirt and black pants, and Rey looked like she had been caught off guard. Kylo reckoned that it had been awhile since he had been dressed casually in front of her. That was his fault. He only ever saw her when he needed something. “Hello,” She tried very hard not to sound so tense but she didn’t think it was working. “Let me close up shop,” 

 

He waited patiently for her to do so, “Can I carry your basket?” He asked her when she locked the door. 

 

“I can carry it very well by myself,” She told him. He made a face but didn’t say anything or push her any further. The two of them walked a little bit, he let Rey lead the way. She knew the ins and outs of  the Neutral Zone far better than he could ever. She brought him to a secluded meadow next to a creek that’s water was rushing. “I think that here would do nicely,” She said. 

 

Kylo had brought the blanket. He set it down and let her spread out the food that she had brought. The first five minutes between the two just eating and not really looking at each other were the most intense five minutes that Kylo had experienced in a while. He tried his best to break the ice. “So,” He said, “do you still draw?” 

 

Rey looked up at him. He wasn’t sure if he saw anger, annoyance, or sadness on her face. “I stopped drawing after my grandfather died.” She told him. “I do schematics for weapons but I don’t think that that really counts at all.” Kylo nodded. 

 

“Sorry, uh… I didn’t mean to—” 

 

“It’s okay,” Rey rolled her eyes. “It’s not like you would’ve known. You never asked and I never told you. But why don’t we focus on the future, why don’t we? You’re hunting a witch. Have you progressed any in your journey to kill them?” 

 

“Not really.” He said. “Just interviewing people, trying to see if anyone’s found anything peculiar. But I know that you don’t really like that subject so why don’t we stick to anyone else. Is there anything else you’ve done outside of—” 

 

“The forge is my life and I dedicate myself to it wholly,” Rey shrugged, “I don’t get out much,” She looked up at the sun that was starting to peek through pinkish clouds. Kylo wanted to ask her what happened to her. Rey used to be the most daring and adventurous person that he knew. She was the reason that he had tried to grow up better, to not cry when he heard voices in his head. He didn’t ask her that though because he knew that she wouldn’t react too well to it. 

 

The two of them were silent for a long time before he finally just told her, “I missed you.” She looked at him, sandwich almost to her mouth. She set it down. 

* * *

 

_ I missed you.  _ He had told her. Rey’s breath caught and she stared at him. “I’ve been an asshole to you.”  _ Yeah, you really have.  _ She didn’t say anything. She thought that in this time it was just best for her to stay quiet. “And I know that it’s very hard to— it would be hard to forgive me if you chose to do that but I want to get to know you again. I want to be your friend.” There was a long silence between them before he finished it off with, “‘cuz I’m lonely.” 

 

“Damn it,” Rey deflated and looked away from it. “It’s really hard to stay mad at you when you do that.” She laughed nervously. “You ass,” Kylo laughed nervously too as Rey tried to think of a reason to cling onto her wariness of the knight, but it was getting harder and harder by the second. “In all seriousness,” Rey told him, “You only get one second chance, that’s it.” She could see him smiling and she was reminded of that boy that she had been friends with so long ago. Part of her wanted to cry when she saw that smile. He was the only person that was ever able to do that to Rey. 

 

“I won’t let you down.” He told her. He looked like he was about to cry. 

 

“Don’t do that,” Rey said. 

 

“Do what?” 

 

“Don’t cry,” She told him, “because then I’ll cry.” 

 

“I’ve never seen you cry.”  _ Yes you have, you just don’t remember it.  _ Rey felt a little bit of guilt push in her stomach, but she tried to push that to the back of her mind. “You’re the strongest person that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing,” 

 

“Now you’re just getting into flattery and it’s making me sick.” 

 

“Right,” Kylo shook his head. “The food’s great by the way. You’re talented.” 

 

“What did I say about the flattery?” 

 

“It’s hard to break habits,” 

 

“I guess I should compliment you,” Rey said, “because you keep complimenting me. So I guess I can say that I’m proud of you for your work ethic, and for apologizing. Apologizing is hard for me.” Admitting when she was wrong about something or someone was hard for Rey, and most importantly facing the sins of her past— she would never do that so long as she could avoid that. 

 

“Don’t strain yourself,” Kylo said. 

“And you grew up to be pretty good looking,” Rey added. That shut up him in mere seconds. “That’s what I thought,” She muttered.

 


	5. back home

    People who made the mistake of thinking that Rey was a helpless woman were sorely mistaken, people who thought that Rey was anything less than too powerful for any normal being in this land to be were sorely mistaken. Not just because of her power, but because of her influence over the Kingdoms. She was the common denominator in the defeat of so many sorcerers. She was the person that empowered Ben Solo, and then later the Killer of Witches, Kylo Ren. This made her a target, but as long as she stayed in the Neutral Zone, no one could attack her. That's why she stayed in her shop so often. There were creatures and witches that watched her out amongst the streets, not pouncing because they were not on free terrain to do so, but they reported their findings to the people that wanted her dead.

 

That wasn't very pleasant for Rey, to say the least. She and Kylo Ren walked back to her shop and Rey glimpsed a man with golden eyes that bumped past them on the street. That's when she remembered the sheath that Kylo had kept on his belt despite the fact that he was dressed in normal wear. The sword started to glow, and Rey closed her eyes, knowing that he was about to cause a scene. She was right. He looked back to the man with the golden eyes who stared at the sword and then back up to Rey and Kylo. Great. If Kylo attacked this thing, the secret was out. That man would tell him everything that she didn't want him to hear and her head would be on a pike. "This is the neutral zone." Kylo must've thought he was talking to him, but she was talking to the both of them. "We don't attack people here, if you have qualms with each other, please go out of city limits to fight." She looked back to Kylo. "Please don't do this when we were having such a great time."

 

She touched his arm. "Please," This seemed to work and he resheathed his sword. Rey wasn't sure why the sword didn't glow around her, but then she reckoned it was the same reason that it didn't kill her. She enchanted it to not betray the creator. 

 

    He kept walking with her back home. "I didn't know you had a problem with magic here too," Rey rolled her eyes. "You should tell me when you go out, that way I can make sure that nothing bad happens to you." 

 

    "While that's really sweet in a really misguided way," She said, "I can take care of myself. Trust me." 

 

    "I'm just saying." He turned around to her, "I don't want to see anything bad happen to you." She tried to quell the annoyance and anger that was bubbling up in her chest. He really was stupid sometimes, now was he?  "I mean it. I know I'm an asshole sometimes, but I really like you and you're a lot better of a human than most people so let me protect you." 

 

    "I appreciate that thought." Rey told him. "But I'm really not better than anybody and I don't need your protection. I've learned to do just fine without your protection. Calm down. Just walk me home and then let that guy go, he didn't attack you, he didn't attack me. There's no reason to kill him or stalk him and then kill him. Please just forget about him." 

 

    "Fine." He was tenser after that, not talking to her as they walked home. Rey tried to think that this didn't ruin her experience any, tried to think of how the picnic went and not the walk back home. She stopped by her door to say goodbye to him, but he left without a word, and Rey was left with a sour taste in her mouth. That sour taste would last until she was visited by Kylo a few weeks later saying that he needed a sharpening device for his blade. Rey put one on the table and he went to pay for it before she said. 

 

    "It's a sharpening device, I have like three hundred of them. Consider this former friend's discount." He stared at her for a minute, that dark gaze boring holes in her. 

 

    "Why?" 

 

    "Because I'm feeling charitable today," 

 

    "Really?" 

 

    "Yes, really. Kylo, just take it. Rent probably isn't cheap and I really just don't care about a stupid sharpening device." He was about to leave then when he turned around to her as she was about to go in the back. 

 

    "I'm sorry for ruining our picnic," He told her, Rey turned around and tried to smile at that. At least he was taking accountability for his actions, Rey knew for a fact that both Ben Solo and Kylo Ren were never very good at admitting when they had done something wrong. " I should have just not paid attention to that and then I should have said goodbye when you came back here and I'm just sorry that I'm such a dick sometimes." 

 

    "That's fine," Rey told him, "all's forgiven." 

 

    "You're too good for this Earth, Rey." 

 

    "What did I say about doing that? I'm not perfect, I'm not too good for this Earth. Stop that." 

 

    "Right," He nodded. "Could we talk or do something else some time soon? I did enjoy your company." 

 

    "Sure," Rey said. "Just say the word and I'll close up shop and we could do whatever you'd like." 

    

* * *

 

    When he left, Rey was alone. He had taken the scar that she had given him and made a new identity and gone to a king that was far more cruel than Leia or Han ever was and no one knew why he did such a thing. Rey couldn't help but feel guilty for that though. Maybe if she had accepted the penalty of her grandfather dying and hadn't acted the way she did, he would still be here. Maybe the things he said were just in her mind. Maybe she deserved to be punished. She didn't know what to do. She was so alone, and she had lost so much in such a short amount of time. "I know that it's painful that he's gone." Leia had told her. She wasn't sure if she was talking about Ben or her grandfather. It didn't matter either way. 

    

* * *

    

    Rey was visited by an unwanted visitor at the end of the day. It was Kylo, but it wasn't Kylo. She could see by the look in the man's eyes. It was the gold that gave him away. Kylo Ren's eyes weren't like that. She pretended not to notice when she saw him. She wondered how far this man was willing to go. "Ah, Ren. Anything else you need from me today?" Not very far apparently, the man with the golden eyes dropped the facade, taking a dagger out of his belt. 

 

    "I think you know who I am, Miss." 

 

    "You're a changeling," Rey said tiredly, "what else is new?" 

 

    "I was sent here to do some dirty work, and you're a worthy competitor in a fight too. I'm honoured to have the task to kill you." 

 

    "Thrilling," Rey rolled her eyes, "can you do me the pleasure of telling me who you're working for before you kill me in the Neutral Zone and become a fugitive." She could see the glint of actual armour outside, walking by her door. Kylo Ren was very close by. 

 

    "The same as the man who's clueless to your _true_ identity." 

 

    "Oh, so you're also employed by Snoke. A man who's known to hate any magical being," 

 

    "If  you think that is Snoke's personality than you are more of a fool than I thought. Snoke is no man," That was really intriguing but Rey was starting to feel a little more and more claustrophobic as the minutes passed by. She grabbed the knife that she kept under the counter and swung as hard as she could, connecting with the man's eyes. The man  didn't even scream, he just lashed out too. He nearly connected with her elbow, and she ducked as he came around the counter. He held her in his grasp, stabbing her in the arm with his knife, but it didn't hurt. The weapon he used looked familiar.

 

The handle was something that was hers. 

 

    She laughed as she took the blade of the knife out, stumbling backwards for a second as she tried to regain her footing. She was going to try and go for the kill again, the other man asking her why she didn't fight back with magic. He knew why so well. Kylo came barging through the shop so fast that Rey didn't even process it, he extended his hand and the sword hit true, connecting with the man's neck. He turned to ash after the hit. Rey's breathing was heavy as she watched Kylo regain his composure and turn to her. "What the hell was that and why was it attacking you?" She had to catch her breath, starting to pretend to act a lot more distressed. 

 

    "Something magical," Rey shrugged, "and a lot of people really hate me because I fuel the anti magic war of the Five Kingdoms. It's not the first time I've been attacked and certainly won't be the last." Kylo looked concerned, turning his eyes to the wound on her shoulder. 

 

    "Are you okay?" 

 

    "Yeah, just a flesh wound." 

 

    "You're bleeding. let me patch you up." 

 

    "Fine." She rolled her eyes, "Only if you help me clean that up afterwards." 

 

    "Of course," Kylo said. He looked back to the ash remains of the changeling. "You won't tell anyone else about that will you." 

   

"I won't." Rey told him. "That's the least I can do." 


	6. Secret for The Mad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One day it'll get better, today is not that day.

 

Rey and Kylo didn’t talk to each other for the next few weeks. Rey was busy and Kylo was out there searching for the person who was supposed to be this downfall of the First Order. Rey wanted to tell Kylo that this crusade that he was going on was unnecessary, she wanted to tell him that she was a witch and she had never hurt anyone a day in her life except when she was helping him. But that wasn’t true. She had hurt him before and she didn’t want to open that can of worms back up again. 

 

At the tale end of the last few weeks, Rey was starting to feel sick. Maybe it was the smell of ash from the golden eyed man that was still in her nose or the lack of sleep or maybe it was a combination of the two but she wasn’t feeling okay. She wanted to sleep and stay asleep for as long as she possibly could. She wanted to go away to a far far away land and never go away. 

 

* * *

  
  


Rey and Ben were ten. Ben was sadder, and Rey didn’t know why. She tried to help him to the nest of her abilities but she didn’t know how to. She felt like a bad friend because she didn’t know what was going on with him and she couldn’t help because of that. “You want to do something.” It was night time and Ben wasn’t asleep. He had dark circles under his eyes and Rey felt so so bad for him. She wanted to help him more than anything and she couldn’t. 

 

“Rey, I have duties that I have to perform.” 

 

“Yeah but that means you don’t have time for me anymore, you’re my best friend. Come on,” She blinked, pouting and waiting for him to agree. He looked up at her. He had some sort of guilty look in his eye and Rey didn’t know what to do to make him feel better. 

* * *

  
  


Rey usually didn’t go home. She owned another property away from her store, but she didn’t go to it very much anymore. She usually just holed herself up in her store and produced more and more as her fingers wore thin and her patience even thinner. She paced around every once and a while and would go days without seeing the light of day. 

 

Rey went home tonight, walking in the dark. She still felt sick and she didn’t know how to fix it. She would cleanse herself when she got home. “Rey! Rey!” Rey nearly jumped out of her skin when Kylo ran up to her. He put his hand on her shoulder and she nearly turned around to deck him, but she had enough restraint to know when to not do that. “Are you okay?” 

 

She was sweating and it was cold. She didn’t know what to do, she started walking back to the store, if he saw the stuff in her house… “Rey, what’s wrong?” 

 

“I’m sick, I think. I don’t know. There’s a lot going on right now, Ben. This might not be the best time.” Maybe she wasn’t even sick, but she knew for a fact that she was freaking out and she didn’t know how to stop that from happening. She needed this to go away. 

 

“If you’re sick then why are you out here?” He said. “What are you doing?” 

 

“I needed some fresh air,” She lied. She was going to go home. She couldn’t do that right now. “Thought I could walk further than I could I guess. I’m just,” She could feel herself starting to lose her grip on reality. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and that was the last she remembered. 

 

* * *

  
  


“Fine, we can go somewhere.” He said. He looked like he was going to cry, like that thing telling him not to go was so loud in his head that he didn’t know how to deal with it. “I’m sorry that we haven’t been hanging out as much as we should have. I feel like a bad friend.” 

 

“You’re not a bad friend,” Rey said, “not by a long shot. I think you’re the best person in the world actually. You just doubt yourself too much.” She took him by the hand and watched him blush. “I found a new place, I think that you’ll like it.” 

 

“Really?” That seemed to pique his curiosity. 

 

“Really.” Rey told him. “You’ll love it. Just trust me.” 

* * *

  
  


Rey woke up to Kylo sitting next to her in the bed in the back of her store. He looked concerned. “Are you okay?”

 

“How did you even get in here?” 

 

“Your back door was open,” That seemed to be enough of an explanation for her. “And answer my question. Are you okay? Are you dizzy? Do you need anything?” Rey felt like she was being bombarded with unnecessary questions right now. 

 

“I have a migraine,” 

 

“Oh,” He got quiet after that, but he still wasn’t leaving. Why wouldn’t he just leave? “I think you’re lying.” 

 

Rey tensed. “Huh?” 

 

“I think you’re still sick but you’re trying to avoid asking for help. Stay there, I’m going to go out and get you some food and drink. I’ll be back within the hour. You don’t move. Just rest. Okay?” He didn’t give her a chance to accept or reject his help. He just left. 

 

_ If you don’t sacrifice yourself, tell him the truth, he’ll endure the worst pain imaginable.  _ Rey’s skull reverberated with an ache that was more painful than anything else that she had ever experience. She blacked out again. 

* * *

  
  


Rey was right to say that he would love this place. The one thing that Kylo Ren remembered most was the night that Snoke had been talking to him, where his voice of self doubt was louder than anything, and he was just so so sad all the time. He always felt bad because Rey would try her hardest to try and make him smile and it took the most strength in the world to try and do it for her. But now it was easy, they went out far past the forest and it’s red glowing leaves to a pond that was far far away from everything else. 

 

He had wanted to go to a place away from the palace, where everything was just quiet. The water glowed a soft aquamarine, with little soft pink lights every so once and a while dipping in and out of the water. “How did you find this place?” He was actually smiling, and she was smiling too. It was times like these where he so badly wanted to tell her that he loved her. 

 

He was ten though, so what did he know? 

 

“A magician never reveals her secrets,” 

* * *

  
  
  


Rey got up after she decided she was tired of resting and Kylo came back with food. “What are you doing up? You were sick.” 

“I think someone with magic tried to curse me,” She said nonchalantly. She knew that would give him some sort of alarm, but she didn’t care. She was hungry.“They didn't do it very well though, because I threw up and then the feeling was gone.” He opened his mouth to say something but Rey pointed to the basket of food. “You going to help me eat that?”


	7. Dragon Sickness, I

**_Five Months Later_ **

 

Rey wished that she could just go away. That she could pretend that she never made any of the decisions that she made that protected the kingdoms. Sometimes she mourned for the people whose death that she contributed to. She knew that it wasn’t completely her fault, but what good was a murderer without their weapons? Some of the blood transferred down to her hands, if not all. 

 

“Are you going to stop being stubborn?” She told Kylo. He had the chills and shakes and she knew that he was sick. “I can cure you if you just stop being so stubborn and let me cure you.” She knew that that wasn’t going to change his mind. He stared up at her like had been betrayed. He stared at her like his blood was on her hands, but that wasn’t how it worked. She had protected him for so long. So, so long. He had no room to judge her for what she did.

 

“Get away from me.” He hissed at her. “I don’t want help from the likes of you.” The thing that plagued him was nothing other than dragon sickness. Something that was usually only out in the mountains, where they were right now. Witches were immune to such a painful disease, but she had seen the effects of it before. It was not a good thing to be taken ill by, by any means. 

 

“That’s really funny coming from you,” She hissed. “Murderer, you forced me to help you scorch my kind without mercy.” 

 

“I have to live with that every day.” 

 

“If you still have any respect for me, you’ll leave right now.” Rey felt like she was going to cry. She knew that this sort of thing was going to happen, and it was only a matter of time. That didn’t mean that it didn’t hurt, nonetheless. He was the first friend that she had ever had, the first person that she had ever fallen in love with. 

 

Although, he would never know that.

* * *

 

**_Four Months Earlier_ **

 

Rey was quiet when she first told him about the dragon sickness. He had seen a girl afflicted with it in the spring in the neutral zone. She had scales that looked almost like boils and her skin was starting to shed. “Don’t touch her,” Rey said as he stopped in the street.

 

“What? Why? She’s in pain.” 

 

“She’ll infect you too,” Rey told him, “just keep walking.” She looked like she was genuinely afraid of what was going on. 

 

“What is she infected with?” 

“Dragon sickness,” Rey felt like she was going to throw up. She couldn’t get it up though. 

 

“I thought that that was a myth,” His parents used to tell him myths of the sickness to keep him from sneaking out. That never used to stop him before though. 

 

“There’s nothing I can do for her, nothing you can do for her either. The only way to cure dragon sickness is by magic and that’s not going to happen.” He felt sympathetic for that poor child. “Someone will come. The people that are hired for the culling of the infected. She’ll probably be dead in a few hours, to put her out of her misery.”

 

“Right,” He said. 

 

“It’s no different than what you do when you kill witches,” She said sharply, “don’t give me that sort of look.” Ren watched her as she kept walking. She was doing her best to try and ignore the fact that that girl was crying out for parents that would probably never come for her. He knew that Rey would feel for that child. He knew that Rey was trying her best trying not to come back for her. 

 

* * *

 

It was dark when Rey came out and that child was still there. She was coughing and the scales had creeped up her arms. She hissed when Rey tried to get close to her. Rey flashed her eyes, “Hey.” She said, “Don’t be alarmed. I can help you. You just need to be quiet, and come with me. Please come with me, child.” The kid seemed to understand after a minute. Rey put her cloak over the other girl. She knew that the victims of dragon sickness were in extreme pain at all time. She moved the other girl down the street before the people of the culling came out looking for her. Rey clamped her hand over the girl’s mouth to make sure that she didn’t say anything. 

 

“I thought that she was over here,” Someone said. Rey whisked the girl back to her place. Not the shop, but her home. She had her pastes and her potions and she set to work, letting the girl sit on her couch. 

 

“You trust me, right.” Rey asked.

 

The girl didn’t say anything. Sweat was beading on her brow and she looked too sick to even really comprehend what was going on. Rey applied the topical cream that would help soothe the girl’s pain. “Ssh,” She said, “it’s okay. It’s okay. Just trust me, you’re going to be okay.” The girl let out a muffled cry and Rey ducked down away from the windows to make sure that no one saw her or the girl. 

 

Next was the potion. Rey had to work fast, she knew. Someone could discover her. Worse, Kylo Ren could discover her. It was the worst feeling in the world, wondering what would happen if he found out her worst secret.

 

The potion was done and trickled down her throat within the hour. Rey fell asleep on the floor next to the girl. In the morning, the girl tapped her on the shoulder. “Who are you?” She said when Rey broke out. 

 

“Rey,” She said. 

 

“You’re a—” 

 

“Please,” Rey told the girl. “You cannot tell anyone, no  matter what you do.” The scales her cleared and she looked like all she had was the flu. 

 

“I won’t,” The girl told her. “I owe you a debt,” 

 

“No, you really don’t.” 

 


	8. Some Things are Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god I'm sorry for taking so. Long to update

_**Four Months Ago** _

It took Rey a while to convince the child that she just needed to go home, to reassure her parents that she was okay. “Thank you for your kindness.” She said.

  
“Don’t worry about it.” She told the girl. “Just leave and don’t get caught when you’re going home.” The girl promised her that she wouldn’t get caught. The people that were called for the culling didn’t know her name, and they wouldn’t be looking for her in particular. After that she vanished into the night without a second thought.

  
Rey was able to sleep that night because of that.

 

* * *

 

  
Kylo was not able to sleep. He kept thinking about that girl, about dragon sickness. He wondered how much more Rey knew than him about this kind of stuff. He wondered how much she had seen since the two of them stopped being friends. They stopped being friends. Every once and a while Kylo would ask himself why they did such a thing, but he never came up with any memory that lead to what happened specifically. He joined Snoke’s side, but what else did he do? What lead him to go there in the first place?

  
It was bothering him, he got up and got dressed when the morning came and went right for Rey’s place. He wanted to see her, he needed to see her. He wasn’t thinking at all of what needed to be done. Of the wizard that he needed to hide at the moment. 

He was only thinking of Rey.

 

* * *

 

  
_**Five Months Later** _

“Get away from me,” Kylo hissed, “I don’t want a liar-”

  
“Will you grow up?” Rey said, “Everyone’s a liar, that’s how we live. I saved your life plenty of times. You should be ashamed of yourself for being so selfish.” The dragon sickness was bad. He could easily become a beast and never go back to the way he was in a matter of days, but treatment had to be consensual for the spell to work.

  
Right now, it wasn’t working. “I can’t believe you let me be your friend and then never told me.”

  
“Because I would’ve died if I did.”

  
“You don’t know that,”

  
“Exactly, I didn’t know that.”

 

* * *

 

  
_**Four Months Ago** _

  
Kylo had almost smoothed things over with Rey, there was an easiness to their relationship that there hadn’t been in such a long time. It made him happy. He wasn’t sure that there were many things that could have made him happy at this time. He would bring Rey pastries. “Flattery will get you nowhere,” Rey said.

  
“But food might?” He would answer. She liked these apple tarts with a sugary icing on them. He always like to see her face light up when he would bring them over. She would always make sure his weaponry and armory was up to par.

  
They were almost like they used to be, but there was something else there. There were times where he would find himself lingering on Rey. Wanting to see her make weapons, smiling when she told bad jokes, and truly, genuinely melting when he saw the sun come down on her and she would see him.

“Hey,” The sound of her voice was something genuinely magical to him.

  
“Hey,” He walked into her shop again, like he had done a thousand times before.   
“What shall it be today?”

  
“Nothing,” He said, “I just wanted to come in and say hi,”

  
“That it?” She raised an eyebrow. “No swords, no weapons of mass destruction?”

  
“No, I just wanted to see you. Is that so bad?”

  
“No,” Rey shook her head, “it’s not. I just couldn’t fathom why you would want to do that.” Because he loved her. Because despite being mad at him Rey had always made sure that he didn’t die, and that meant more to Kylo Ren than she probably would ever know.

“Because you’re the most wonderful person in the world,” He said, “and I mean that.”

 

* * *

 

  
_**Five Months Later** _

“If you really think that I am a bad person for something that I cannot change you can strike me down right now.” The words rung loud and clear in the woods. Kylo, no Ben, both of them would not do it. Both of them had a moral code that they followed and that code meant that they did not betray their friends. 

  
He had broken that code at least once though. Rey stood up as she watched the pathetic attempt that Kylo was making to stand up, using his sword for support. He grunted in pain. “You really don’t know when to quit, do you?” He swung his sword and stumbled, Rey moved out of the way with ease. “While this is cute, I really think you need to lay down and just let me heal you.” She knew that he wasn’t going to be. If Kylo Ren was anything, he was a stubborn man who could be an asshole.

  
“It was my mission to kill the witch,” This time he connected, but it didn’t pierce her skin. 

“Did you really think I would give you a weapon that could kill me? I love you, Ben, but not that much.” He was sweating. Rey saw the scales that were starting to grow on his neck. The sickness was spreading. 

“Get away from me.” He was starting to collapse. Rey was starting to realize that she would not be able to help him in the way that she wanted. At least not yet.

  
“Fine,” Rey said. “Hope you like intense burning and death.” She left without another word.

 

* * *

 

  
Before things went bad, things went great. Kylo had managed to get Rey walking outside on the streets with him. She would grab his hand but would never look him straight in the eye. “How's your day been going?” She would ask him.

  
“Better now that I’m with you.” She would stare at him like she didn’t understand why he wouldn’t say something as vulnerable as that, but she would smile slightly as he continued being an idiot. “Your hair's down today,” 

  
“Yes it is,”

  
“I like it down, it's really pretty.”

  
“Are you telling me that you don’t like my hair when it’s up?”

  
“No! That's not what I meant—” She held her hand up and started giggling.

  
“Relax, I was just messing with you. I like your hair when it's down too.”

  
“It's always down,”

  
“Exactly, I always like you hair.” She could make him blush so easily. It wasn't fair. He wished things could stay like this.


	9. The Beginning of The End

Rey always wondered what it would like to live a peaceful life. The closest she ever got to that was when  Kylo  Ren had stopped hunting witches for a brief moment in time and asked if he could help her out around the shop more. At first, Rey wasn’t sure that she wanted that. She didn’t want him in the back, seeing the magic that she put into her weapons to make sure that people stayed protected, he could also be quite the brooding personality.  But it seemed that the more time that  Kylo  was around her, the more pleasant he got.  So  Rey told him that she could set out an extra cot in the shop for him if he wanted to sleep there and save on the tavern. “Are you sure about that?” He asked her. 

“Of course,” Rey said, “as long as you expect my boundaries and stay where your cot is. You can stay here for the time being.” Rey locked all her doors where suspicious stuff would be that night after he accepted.  He would sleep out in the main part of the shop, insisting that this way if there was anyone trying to break in, he would defend it. Rey thought that it was cute that he thought he would be able to take it from her. Once he moved in, the tw o of them would spend a lot more time together than Rey thought possible. 

“Do you need any help with anything?” He would ask, and because Rey had the feeling that he really didn’t want to do the job that Snoke had sent him to do, she would tell him that if he went and got some fruits or pastries for her at the market, that would be great. That would give her enough time to do whatever magic she needed to make any weapons that day, and he would come back right as the sales started. She kept one fruit for herself and another for Kylo, leaving the basket of whatever he brought back for her customers. 

Everyone seemed to be a little uneasy about his presence at first, but as  time  passed, he eased up and so did the customers. It was nice. Rey just wished that it could stay like this. She knew that that wish was childish though.

* * *

 

Rey sat by herself in the rain, trying to refrain from wondering how much pain  Kylo  was in right now.  She had to wait for him to want to be healed by her, and she hated to see him suffer but she knew that he would come to his senses. She prayed for guidance and strength as the rain came down and hit the forest floor. She could hear him scream from not far off. If he didn't shut  up  she'd have to go make sure no beasts killed him. If they did, it would be on her conscience, even if it wasn’t her fault that he was being stupid. She went back, but made sure that he didn’t see her. 

He was laying down, writhing in pain. Rey had to pretend that she didn’t know him. That she didn’t want to make sure that he was okay. Was she a bad person for not trying to go over and comfort him at the time? Even if he was in pain? Eventually Rey had to cast a spell on him to knock him out, because she couldn’t stand to hear the way that he was screaming. Once he was asleep, she dropped down next to  him,  looking around her to make sure that his screaming hadn’t attracted beasts or creatures. 

She wished that this had never happened, that he had never found out. She couldn’t dwell on the things that she wished that happened, if she  did  she would be lost forever. “You’ll be okay,” She stroked the hair that had stuck to his forehead with sweat, “Don’t worry, you’ll be okay.” 

* * *

 

When  Kylo  had started staying with Rey, it wasn’t because he couldn’t afford to stay at the tavern anymore, it was because he really didn’t want to go back to Snoke. He was finally getting back to being friends with Rey and he didn’t want to lose that with her. When she let him move in, it was the best feeling that he had ever felt. 

He liked to think that Rey enjoyed his presence too. He hadn’t seen her smile so much in such a long time. He didn’t notice anything wrong, not at the time . He was too caught up in the fact that he had so much more than he had had before. He had gained a friend back but there was something else between them that hadn’t been there before. It was a sort of peace and warmth in which both of them coexisted. They were extremely happy. 

Being happy was something that  Kylo  thought that he had forgotten when he killed that  former  part of himself. This new development was unexpected, but it was definitely welcome.

 Too bad that nothing good lasted forever. 

* * *

Kylo  thought that he knew pain, but this was something else. Everything was too hot, and his skin felt like it was on fire. There was no one there to help him or comfort him, no one that he could trust. He was going to die like this. It was the only thing that he could accept at this point, especially after Rey betrayed him in the way that she did. 

* * *

The Knights of Ren were a death sentence. Rey tried not to get involved with the other ones, just  Kylo . Only  Kylo . He was the only one that actually cared about people’s lives.  Every one  else lusted for blood in ways that made Rey feel sick. They barged into her shop one day without warning though. “Where’s  Kylo ?” One of them demanded. 

“Who are you?” Rey asked. She knew who these people were, she wasn’t dumb. 

“You know who we are, woman.” The knights were starting to line up in the shop. Rey rolled her eyes. 

“Yes, I do. But you didn’t ask politely, so I didn’t tell you.” One of them surged forward but she turned. “Careful, remember where we are. If you kill me in the neutral  zone  you’ll be in violation of so many laws. I also have served your organization quite well, no one is a better blacksmith than I am.” 

“She’s right,” A woman said, “be nice. Remember where we are and who you’re talking to.” The knight that had previously threatened her started to calm down. “Where is Ren?” The woman asked her. “Snoke wants to make sure that he has been doing his job.” 

“He’s not here.” Rey lied. She always lied. “He comes over every once and a while to make sure that his sword and armor is up to par but I don’t have constant tabs on him.” 

“Are you sure about that?” 

“Yes,” Rey was a good liar. She had to be in order to survive. 

“We will come back when he is here then,” They stayed around for a few seconds but Rey finally managed to shoo them out of the shop. When she was sure that she was gone she turned in to the extra room that  Kylo  was in. 

“Are they gone?” 

“Yes,” Rey told him, “they’re gone.” 


End file.
